Jetstar announces new flights to Cook Islands

The Cook Islands Tourism Corporation is welcoming an announcement that Jetstar will start flying to Rarotonga in March, a deal which will mean an extra 25,000 return seats to the country every year.

The flights will originate from Sydney or Melbourne, and Australian travellers will connect to Rarotonga via Auckland.

The corporation's director of destination development, Metua Vaiimene, says tourists from New Zealand and Australia are the country's biggest markets, and the new flights will mean more choice and competition.

He says the Cook Islands has seen a steady increase in tourism over the last five years, and is expecting about 120,000 visitors this year.

"It is our largest industry. It's the biggest provider of employment and income here in the Cook Islands. So it's important to continue to invest in that and diversifying the ways in which our visitors can come here, like approaching new airlines such as Jetstar, as part of our overall strategy."